Director of Student Services

The Director of Student Services must be able to provide a vision for the schools in the area of special education; serve as a resource for administrators, teachers, and staff to ensure the needs of students with disabilities are met while also ensuring equal access to all programs 

As a member of the Executive Leadership Team for the district, the Director of Student Services must 

inspire and demonstrate leadership in the areas of program development, implementation and evaluation, coordination of services, litigation, and budget development, while being fiscally responsible in budget management. The Director must have a proven history of responding effectively to student and caregiver needs by providing a comprehensive array of services in coordination with collaboratives and outside providers. The Director must have a proven ability to relate to a variety of constituencies, including but not limited to parents and caregivers, teachers, SEPAC, members of the School Committee, human service agencies, and other stakeholders in 

in an equitable and inclusive manner.

The Director of Student Services reports directly to the Superintendent of Schools and is responsible for leading, administering and supervising quality special education staff, nursing, counseling and related service programs and services for all identified students with disabilities (pre-K through age 22). This individual also plays a key role in transportation, homeless/foster/court-involved students and the coordination of 504 Plans within the district. 

Essential Duties:

• Establish and communicate a district-wide philosophy of least restrictive environment for serving students with disabilities
• Provide curriculum leadership involving the application of the curriculum frameworks, specialized instructional materials and the development of alternative assessment tools
• Lead the establishment of program goals and objectives and assess outcomes; build capacity to support in-district education for students
• Coordinate, facilitate and evaluate the entire IEP development, implementation and placement process through the organization of teams and their composition
• Supervise and evaluate Special Education personnel, including the Administrators of Special Education, Coordinator of Family and Student Supports, and the Department Head of Social and Emotional Learning
• Participate in the process of hiring Special Education staff
• Work with special educators and classroom teachers to develop collaborative, inclusive classrooms, as well as programs that focus on specialized strategies, both during the school year and summer programming 
• Evaluate the effectiveness of programs to ensure alignment with the MA Frameworks and compliance with state and federal regulations 
• Coordinate staff development programs designed to promote growth and ensure compliance with changing regulations in special education
• Work closely with the Transportation Department to fulfill student transportation needs for school year and summer programming 
• Prepare, administer and monitor the Special Education budget, using the current Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) funding criteria
• Provide the Superintendent and Director of Business Services regular updates on the changing variables in the out-of-district budget
• Interface with Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Developmental Services, Department of Children and Families, Department of Mental Health, Educational Collaboratives, MassAbility and other local education agencies
• Oversee the preparation of DESE reports and monitor yearly trends
• Maintain a current register of all special education students as mandated by Chapter 766 and ensures that current records of evaluations are kept, as required
• Assume responsibility for Child Find activities including the coordination of of referral processes for all schools, including preschool screening 
• Serve as the liaison between the US Department of Education and DESE in matters pertaining to OCR Complaints and/or PRS
• Write, submit and implement Special Education Grants
• Oversee the Crisis Prevention and Intervention (CPI) training program for the district
• Performs other duties and assumes other responsibilities as may be assigned by the Superintendent

Requirements:

• Masters degree or higher in School Administration or related field.    
• MA DESE License: Special Education Administrator, all levels 
• Minimum of ten years’ experience in special education, with a minimum of 5 years of Special Education Administrator experience required.
• Extensive knowledge of state and federal regulations regarding students in both regular and special education.

Application timeframe is contingent on applicant pool.